Letter To Sikh Student

My very dear Sikh children, Fateh, God's blessings and my best wishes. First of all I have my great regrets and seek your forgiveness that you do not have the same pleasing childhood as we used to have--- fresh air, beautiful, shady peepal and sheesham trees with rustling lush-green leaves, chirping birds, playful swings attached to the trees, sweet fragrance spreading out of flower plants and bushes, large open and airy compounds, soft murmuring springs and streams, scintillating stars at night and blue sky in the day and so many other free natural bounties. These beautiful gifts of nature have been snatched away from you. We, as parents, are the cause of it. You may not feel the absence of nature's beautiful gifts as you never experienced them but we feel heartbroken. We are trying to provide you the luxuries of life. You have your own rooms; costly toys controlled with remote devices; your uniforms that give you pride and individuality; libraries, full of books; different subjects to study at school; heavy and attractively coloured school bags and special

1 tuition lessons to learn more. You have become so used to my Guru also. That makes us brothers and friends these luxuries that you need cars, buses, motorcycles etc to irrespective of age. take you to school and other destinations. Your monthly Your aim in life must have been to progress. This school-fees amount to what was our total expenditure of our you must have been taught in schools and by your parents two to three years of study. Statistically and in money to progress by bits, to start from nothing and to achieve terms you all, definitely, seem to be luckier than us! higher goals. I am, first of all, going to ask you a simple But I really pity you when I compare your physical question through this letter what is progress? Is it moving strength, mental energy, quickness, personality and shyness forward in life? To increase what you already have? To of your eyes with those in my childhood. Your obesity, accumulate? Is this progress? What's our aim or our spectacled eyes, anger, hatred, irritating nature, excessive destination? Where are we heading towards? Some say that competitiveness, etc force me to think that by snatching air, you should follow others or move in such a speed so as to water, vegetation, earth, sky and stars from you and leave all others behind. This world is full of people. Many replacing it with artificiality and false hopes of happiness are ahead of you and many are after you. One single we have provided you with big vacuums in life. You will individual is of little significance in this vast world. That's never forgive us when you later realize what you gained and why Guru ji in Japuji Sahib has talked of billions of lost. For the time being I am happy in your current devotees of God and then talked of billions of wicked happiness. people as well. To keep on just moving in the worldly Actually, I love you all as you are my Guru's procession is no progress. What has American or European children. You are our present and future, as also our pride. I progress given to humanity? Firstly we have extremism, sincerely wish that all the luxuries which you are enjoying terrorism, fear, instability, weakness of heart and mind, today would always remain yours. I am also yours, which is general insecurity and secondly we have polluted why I am writing you this letter to share my views with you. environment, where pure water and pure air and even Your Sri Ji and Dev ji are normal temperature on earth are getting scarce. Is this the 2 3 future of mankind? So our first question remains, what is baptism), marriage, life's last journey etc in and the real meaning of progress? why must we seek Guru Granth Sahib in all these You're fortunate, privileged and honoured to be ceremonies. children of Sikh parents. It should be your primary duty to Why do we pray? recognize the right Sikh way of life. Have you ever talked Why do we need Guru Granth Sahib's blessings and and discussed about your Sikh faith with your parents, protection in our success, failure, sorrows, tragedies, grand-parents, friends etc? If yes, then it is good and if not, happiness etc.? do it today. You can help create their interest in you and How should be the life of children, youth and old make it a regular practice to discuss it every day, may be, men as per Sikhism? after meals. Ask, understand and identify your heritage. What is worldly or material progress and what is Let me suggest some questions that you may as - spiritual progress in Sikhism? what was the real mission of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and These questions and their answers do not start and nine other ? end at once. We should think over them regularly. In this How did they spend their lives and how did they way, you will get your strong character, courage, support- guide their ? system, culture etc. and you'll attain ultimate inner peace What is the real face of Sikhism, internally and and happiness. These questions are very important and you outwardly? should have answers that satisfy you. What is , pathh, service to humanity, If your parents, relatives or friends cannot guide etc and what is the role or use of each? you or do not satisfy you, you can ask your gurmukh What is the relation of Sikh institutions, , (devoted and practising Sikh) teachers, uncles or aunts. If gurudwaras, , daswandh etc to our life? they too cannot satisfy you then you can visit the libraries What is the meaning or value of amrit (Sikh and consult good books on Sikhism, spirituality, history and

4 5 health. Do consult for final answers to your Your parents and relatives normally help you in this. They fundamental questions. If still you are not able to find the are always happy to see you progressing. answers you can contact me; my address and telephone But the question still remains what is the real number is mentioned at the end of this letter. I am ready to meaning of progress, a personal progress? Progress must discuss with you all your problems at school or at home. not be limited to the materialistic field only. This alone is Sikhism is not another system or thought of life. It is not the complete achievement in Sikhism. Sikhism goes far the right way to live a life. Try leading your life according beyond. Professional and material success is a very small to Guruji's advice. This is going to give you the real part of total or complete life of a Sikh. happiness and a life full of purpose as also the real love of Let me, first, clear even this part, the material God, life, people and environment. progress, from the Sikh point of view. Professional training, Sikhism doesn't stop you from materialistic labour and success in earnings from them are all right and progress. It is not an obstacle in the progress but it helps you everyone tries in that direction. Sikhism, however, to attain your real goal of life. A Sikh is a successful person emphasizes “dharm di kirt”. It literally means righteous on the earth. A Sikh is always ahead of others in his labour, as per Sikh tenets. Cheating in examinations or business, service or in his educational career. He equips tests, cheating in studies, and using unfair means to get good himself with best education, training and technology within marks in studies is not the right labour for a Sikh student. his means. Sikh, due to his Guru's blessings, is always in Using unfair or exploitative means to go ahead in studies, first position. Let yourself, with the grace of Sri Guru sports, in business or in service are not “dharm di kirt”! Granth Sahib Ji, be an ideal for others. Let you be always You must progress in life with hard work, sincerity and high progressing in all activities of school (studies, sports and principles of Sikh faith. Any cheating with anyone, parents, other co-curricular or extracurricular activities). But be a teachers or fellow students or colleagues is not allowed. If guard on yourself and be a true devoted Sikh also, in form you think you can progress leaving Sikhism behind, then and content. Let us not be a blot on the name of Sikhism. you are wrong. Keeping only the form and not the content, 6 7 that is, by deviating from the righteous path, you put a blot pathh (devotional recitation of prescribed on Guruji name and the community. Surely, you are away five banis for a Sikh) is must every day for every Sikh from “dharm di kirt”. Less material progress but before one takes the breakfast .One can recite more pathh achieved through right means is much more satisfying and do it any time. But nitnem is must and is minimum than more progress by wrong means. necessary for a Sikh. Rather it must be done at 'Amrit Vele' There is another important point. If you achieve (wee hours of the morning). This is the process of linking worldly success due to your excellence in studies, skills, yourself mentally and spiritually to Guruji's Godly hard labour and honesty but at the cost of your daily duties message. Starting with , you should steadily as a Sikh, like nitnem- pathh,sewa, simran, keertan and move towards all the five banis as you grow. This is the real satsang, you are not a real devoted and true Sikh. You are start of your living day. You have now the blessings of Guru inadequate and not fully acceptable to Guruji because you and God. There is no such difficulty which cannot be solved have not taken the initial steps to seek the real thing of with Guru's blessings or pat. There is no need to expect Sikhism that is spiritual devotion, love of God and perennial anything from anyone else. You have now Guru Nanak at inner peace. A Sikh has to be a complete human being in this your side! universe. Please do not forsake the real gold to carry the Pathh really means talking to God. You will enjoy brittle pebbles alone. internal happiness if you do shudh (correct on all counts) Guru and God have the first claim on our time right pathh. Meaning of shudh pathh is to read the text exactly as in the morning, every day. Remember GOD and Guru as it is written. Please do it at a slow and steady pace. Slowly you wake up. Remember Guruji's MOOL MANTAR and over time, you will learn the real pronunciation. Don't (IKONKAR….to GURPRASD). Chant God's name, say, add or delete any letter, or lag-matra (vowel symbols in . Try to be ready for school well in time. Take script) on anybody's saying. Read what Guruji care of your personal hygiene and take care of your body. has written and let your ears listen carefully and the mind Have your bath. Dress up. comprehend the meaning. Read with love and fondness! In 8 9 this way, Guruji's words and their meaning will always stay Gurbani are not their priority. My dear Sikh children cannot and ring in you mind. No other treasure is better than this. be part of this animal flock. Now the question is of time. It takes, usually, an If your parents, relatives or friends stop you from hour to recite properly the complete nitnem. Plan getting up doing nitnem or consider it unimportant, do not heed them. in the morning in such a way that you have sufficient time to You tell them lovingly and patiently that there is none and do your nitnem correctly and with proper comprehension, at nothing above Guru and nitnem. Nothing is more a slow pace. Remember, you have not got this life for important than belonging to Guru Nanak and his Sikh path. studying, working, earning and consuming only. Your life is My dear children, I am not telling you to disrespect meant to give you the spiritual bliss, and to love and serve your elders and your friends. But I am asking you to guide God and His creation, which is our entire environment. This them to Guru's way and the blissful life. And believe me learning comes from Guruji and Gurbani pathh. We need they will all be with you, once you are with Guru. You are Guruji's blessings and God's bliss always, everyday. children of Sikh parents. They all never distract you from Learning has to be imbibed in our inner-being. It has to Guru's path. They want you to be up to the mark in your become a part of our thoughts and actions. Daily nitnem health and studies. This is what Guru also wills. You only motivates us, cleanses our thought process itself and spurs assert that Guru has to be the option number one. This our action with Godly energy. A Sikh without nitnem is means, school work, homework, sports, entertainment etc. clearly an incomplete or a 'fake' person. Surely we want to must be completed at right time so that you can be fresh and be genuine and true followers of our Guru. Our early alert for your Sikh path easily in the morning before going morning is commited to nitnem. So do not waste Godly time to school. in studying, newspapers, games, TV, gossip etc. The first My dear children, Guruji has advised us to share priority on our time has to be seeking Guruji's blessings and what we have with others also. You are good and intelligent, talking to him and listening to him. Those who say that they so help other students in their studies. Share your food and have little time for nitnem-pathh are really saying Guru and belongings with others especially those who are our less 10 11 privileged brethren. But the greatest thing to share is your males move out from the homes. Sikh females adorn their views, love, your history, gurbani, your do's and don'ts of hair by a suitable long dupatta or a scarf. These are now the Sikhism. Aap japo, avreh naam japavo… identification of Sikhs to the world at large. Sikh males, One very important thing before I close this letter. similarly, love and display their unshorn beards. A Sikh, You are Sikh by your parentage. You are Sikh by your whether a commoner or a prime minister, feels proud of his conviction. You are Sikh by your practice in seeking being a Sikh and known as such. Guruji's blessings and spiritual bliss. I am sure you are not My dear children, do take your keshas, turban and afraid of being called or known as a Sikh. A Sikh is the dupatta as love-legacy of Guruji most seriously. Own your ambassador of God in this universe. He is special. He loves Guru openly and declare openly and proudly that you are a Sikhism and he lives Sikhism. He leads others in good, Sikh. Do not play with your hair or your head-covers. Our healthy, happy and holy life. He is open, transparent and history provides hundreds of thousands of examples where honest in what he is. Guruji gave to Sikhs a special and Sikhs preferred death and even barbaric torture to parting befitting disposition and appearance as well. It means with their hair. Now in this democratic and open world, unshorn and complete hair, the same natural way as God Sikhs are respected for their unique identity. Never, yes bestows us with. We keep them clean and healthy. We adore never, shorten them or remove them for the sake of fashion them as Guru's order and His being as our perpetual or so-called convenience. Do not try to behave like the companion. We do not take them as a plaything. The hair are crowd. Guruji has made you special persons, leaders and called keshas in our language. They are the legacy and ideals to the world. Do not lose your identity by joining the inheritance that Guruji bestowed us with. They are not crowd like a lost or a forsaken child. Be the captain, be the subject to the vagaries of fashion of the day. They are not chief, be the head-covered hairy Sikh, be the lion in the and were not an historical need or an accident. They are our jungle! love-token from God and Guru. We adorn them by a special Yes, a Sikh is a saint and a soldier at the same time. cover, called TURBAN or for the head when the Sikh Hold on to amrit-vela, to imbibe the fragrance and sweet 12 13 nectar of nitnem and Gurbani. Spread and share the spiritual Waheguru ji ka . Waheguru ji ki fateh. treasure. Be worldly success and share it by helping other I wish and pray to live in your love and the service of Sikhs and all others too. But you are a lion-like soldier too. the Sikh faith. So, be a protector of your Sikh personality, faith, spirit, identity and well-laid customs and duties. Face like a saint- BRIJ PAL SINGH (Dr.) soldier to anybody who tries to misguide you. Don't fear a 11,Greenview,PATIALA-147001. INDIA. mistaken opponent or an enemy who tells you not to keep +91-(O)-175-2216738 , not to read gurbani or tells you not to be an honest practicing Sikh in today's world. My dear children be guards/protectors on the ground level in the discussions, debates and teachings. Guide the astray. But be like Bhai Bachittar Singh, , Akali Phoola Singh and to all who prove themselves as obstacles in your Sikh way. Tell them clearly that they may do anything they feel like in their own spheres at their own homes but if they try to destroy us, they won't be spared. My dears, may you all remain intelligent, strong, healthy, successful, prosperous and proud children of Sikhism till your last breath. This is the motive of my letter. This is my request. These are also my blessings. Our Guru's hand is always on our heads to protect us all and always. Waheguru is yours and you are of Waheguru. 14 15